What Is the Meaning of Enuresis?

Enuresis is the embarrassing condition more commonly known as bed-wetting. Enuresis can occur in children up to age 5 and sometimes even older. Most children will outgrow bed-wetting on their own with no intervention, but some things can help.

Causes

• According to the Mayo Clinic, bed-wetting is an issue for 15 percent of children by age 5 and 5 per cent between ages 8 and 11. Some causes for enuresis include having a small bladder or not being able to recognize when the bladder is full. This is often outgrown as the bladder grows and nerves develop. In some cases, constipation can be the culprit. The backed-up bowel can limit how large the bladder can expand, causing night time accidents.

Treatment

• Other than waiting for a child to outgrow enuresis, there are a few treatment options. Moisture alarms can be bought at most pharmacies and will send out an alarm when it becomes damp, perhaps in time to warn the child in time to finish in the bathroom. Desmopressin acetate is a drug that increases the production of the anti-diuretic hormone, which lowers the production of urine at night. Parents also can encourage children to completely empty their bladder before bed to help deal with bed-wetting, or keep their child from drinking anything before bed.

Adults

• While enuresis is more common in children that have been recently toilet trained, some adults suffer from it, too. According to the National Association for Continence, about 2 percent of adults have significant bladder control issues. Managing adult enuresis is similar to managing it in children, including using a moisture alarm, training the bladder and anti-diuretic medicines.